Undertreatment of nausea and other symptoms in hospitalized cancer patients.
OBJECTIVE
This survey aimed to provide a symptom profile, in particular for nausea and its treatment, of advanced cancer patients prior to implementation of a clinical practice guideline for nausea.


METHODS
An audit of 82 advanced cancer patients admitted to a major Australian teaching hospital was undertaken. While nausea was present in 26 (32%) of respondents, antiemetics were prescribed in 52 (68%), a higher proportion than in the past, and being taken by 32 (39%).


CONCLUSIONS
Patients reporting moderate-to-severe nausea often missed out on treatment. These findings underscore the need for more attention to education of hospital staff in the assessment and treatment of this frequently bothersome symptom, and raise issues for study design of symptom control research.
Greaves
Judi
J
Palliative Care, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, St Andrews Place, East Melbourne, Vic 3002, Australia. judi.greaves@petermac.org
Glare
Paul
P
Kristjanson
Linda J
LJ
Stockler
Martin
M
Tattersall
Martin H N
MH
D000932:Antiemetics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D003625:Data Collection; D006760:Hospitalization; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D009325:Nausea / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
D000932:Antiemetics